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Odin
Odin (also Óðinn, Wodan, Woden, or Wotan, from Old Norse) is a widely revered god, a war god, and is one of the principal gods in Norse mythology. He is the God of War, Wisdom, Sovereignty, Victory, Magic, Shamanism, Poetry, and the Dead. Odin is the King of Asgard, and he is also the chief ruler (The Allfather) of the Æsir (the main pantheon of Norse gods) in Norse mythology.(Mackenzie 1912, p. 21) Odin is compared to Mercury by Tacitus. Etymology His name came from Old Norse "Óðinn", Old English "Wôden", Old Saxon "Wôdan", Old High German "Wôtan" which all came from Proto-Germanic "*Wōđanaz" which means "Master of Ecstacy". His name is also related to "Óðr" which means "Divine Madness", "frantic", "furious", "vehement", "eager", as a noun "mind, feeling" and also "song, poetry"; Orchard (1997) gives "the frenzied one." Names Background According to the fourth verse of the poem Voluspa on the Poetic Edda, Borr is the father of Odin, his mother being Bestla. Odin also has two brothers, Vili and Ve. He is depicted as tall, old, and wise. He has a long white beard, and he broods deeply over the mysteries of life and death.(Mackenzie 1912, p. 21) He sacrificed his eye in his youth to drink the magic mead from the Well of Mimir.(Mackenzie 1912, p. 21) Odin is said to summon kings and heroes who die in battle to Valhalla, where they spent their time feasting and fighting, ready to defend Asgard in the event of attack.(Willis 1996, p. 196) Odin teaches that there must be self-sacrifice so that wisdom and power may be obtained.(Mackenzie 1912, p. 22) Odin is killed by the wolf Fenrir at the end of the world. His son Vidar rips the wolf apart, avenging his father's death. Odin was portrayed by Anthony Hopkins on the 2011's Marvel Entertainment's feature film Thor.(Thor, 2011 film) Equipment Gungnir In Old Norse, it means "the swaying one." It is the lance of the god Odin. It is made of Yggdrasil's sacred ash and Odin wrote his magic runes on its tip. According to Prose Edda, it was created by the Dvergr known as the Sons of Ivaldi under supervision of the master blacksmith dvergr Dvalin. It is described as a lance that is so well balanced that it never misses and will always strike its target when thrown, regardless of the skill and strength of the wielder. Crossbow It was also said that Odin had a crossbow that could fire ten arrows at once, each hitting separate targets. Draupnir From Old Norse which means "The Dripper," it is a gold ring worn by Odin. It has the ability to multiply itself by letting eight new rings 'drip' from it every ninth night, each one of the same size and weight as the original. It was forged by the dvergr brothers Brokkr and Eitri. Sleipnir From Old Norse which means "The Slipper," it is a grey eight-legged horse owned by the god Odin. It is identified as the best of all horses. It was given to him by Loki. Huginn and Muninn Huginn came from Old Norse which means "Thought", while Munnin means "Memory" or "Mind." They are a pair of ravens that fly all around the world to bring information back to Odin. Hliðskjálf It is the high seat or throne of Odin which allows him to see through all realms. Symbol The Valknut is a symbol of Odin. Powers *Clairvoyance *Earth Manipulation *Enhanced Intelligence *Enhanced Wisdom *Hunting Intuition *Insanity Inducement *Magic *Necromancy **Death Inducement *Nigh Omniscience *Precognition *Predator Instinct *Shapeshifting *War Manipulation **War Inducement *Weather Manipulation Gallery 220px-Georg von Rosen - Oden som vandringsman, 1886 (Odin, the Wanderer).jpg|Georg von Rosen - Oden som vandringsman, 1886 (Odin, the Wanderer) Odin - the Allfather of the Gods.jpg|Odin - the Allfather of the Gods Odin sitting on his throne, Hliðskjálf.jpg|Odin sitting on his throne, Hliðskjálf The Sacrifice of Odin by Frølich (vector).png Odin and the Bifröst.jpg Odin-10b.jpg 220px-Odin and his brothers create the world.jpg Odin, Sleipnir, Geri, Freki, Huginn and Muninn by Frølich.jpg 800px-Odin rides to Hel.jpg 464px-Odin riding Sleipnir.jpg 800px-Fenrir and Odin by Frølich.jpg 220px-Sága and Odin by Robert Engels.jpg 220px-Odin and Sága by Frølich.jpg Ardre Odin Sleipnir.jpg 532px-Odin and Sleipnir - John Bauer.jpg Odin og Völven by Frølich.jpg|Odin og Völven by Frølich GEHRTS-Odin.jpg In Popular Culture Portrayal File:Odin in Thor.jpg|Anthony Hopkins Thor (2011) File:Odin in Almighty Thor.jpg|Kevin Nash Almighty Thor Odin-Xena Warrior Princess.jpg|Alexander Petersons Xena Warrior Princess In Video Games Odin.png|Odin in Smite Odin Valkyrie Profile.jpg|Odin with Gungnir in Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth Odin9.jpg|Odin from Age of Mythology Family See Also External Links http://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/the-aesir-gods-and-goddesses/odin/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odin Notes References * World Mythology by Roy Willis * TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND by Donald A. Mackenzie Category:Æsir Category:Deaths during Ragnarok Category:Deities Category:Gods Category:Gods of Creation Category:Gods of Death Category:Gods of Hunting Category:Gods of Magic Category:Gods of War Category:Gods of Wisdom Category:Kings/Queens of the Gods Category:Norse Deities Category:Norse gods Category:Norse mythology Category:Norse mythology characters Category:Stubs Category:Asgardian Category:Kings and Queens Category:Sorcerers Category:Gods of Healing